State hearing on passenger rail rescheduled

Area rail supporters prepared for audience with legislators

Sep. 25, 2013

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The message will remain the same but the audience will be new to local government and business leaders who continue to make the case for state funding and improved service on the Hoosier State passenger rail line.

Representatives from the Lafayette area will testify Oct. 14 in support of the route before members of the legislative Joint Study Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Assessment and Solutions.

The committee meeting was rescheduled from Thursday morning out of respect for an 11 a.m. public memorial and funeral procession for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Rod Bradway, who was killed in the line of duty on Saturday.

Without a state operating agreement, the 196-mile rail service will cease on Tuesday, when federal funding for Amtrak routes shorter than 750 miles will end.

The Statehouse meeting signifies how much progress community leaders have made in their effort to win state funding for the Hoosier State.

The train runs four days a week between Indianapolis and Chicago, with stops in Lafayette and three other cities. Coupled with the long-distance Cardinal, the two trains provide daily service.

Local officials have hosted a summit, launched a social media campaign and repeatedly told state leaders that frequent, fast and reliable passenger rail is important to the region’s ability to attract and retain businesses and young professionals.

The Indiana Department of Transportation said it would not fund the entire $2.9 million operating expense on its own.

State and community leaders finally coalesced during a Sept. 11 meeting. Mayors agreed to work with INDOT and commit local tax dollars to pay a portion of the operating cost.

On Tuesday, INDOT announced that Gov. Mike Pence had authorized negotiations between the state, the community leaders and Amtrak.

INDOT also said it was preparing an amended contract to present to Amtrak.

Legislators who have a say in controlling Indiana’s purse strings were scheduled to see the results of INDOT’s cost-benefit analysis of the existing Hoosier State service, and four options Amtrak provided for improved frequency and departure times.

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There is no word on when INDOT might release the study in light of the meeting postponement.

The committee was also scheduled to hear from Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski; Eric Angermeier, Nanshan America general manager; and Arvid Olson, Greater Lafayette Commerce quality of life task force chairman.

Roswarski said he planned to discuss the economic impact of the train on the community’s ability to compete in the global economy, being a community of choice and having the amenities needed to attract young professionals.

Local leaders remain focused on making sure future passenger rail service runs at more convenient times, more often and includes amenities for riders.

“We’ve got some extremely compelling arguments as to why it needs to stay, and I think we can bring some great examples of how we can utilize that service, as long as it is improved,” Dennis said.

“We’re using something that is not the best service, and ridership is going up. Imagine what it could be if it was something we could set our clocks by, like railroads used to be.”

Amtrak has acknowledged the need to improve the route that it originally created to haul rail cars to its maintenance shops in Beech Grove. Amtrak repeated that position in a media statement released Tuesday.

“ … Amtrak has provided INDOT information regarding ways to improve the current Hoosier State service and the need for infrastructure improvements to realize those benefits.”

State Rep. Randy Truitt offered perspective on the fact that local leaders and the Hoosier State were even placed on the committee agenda.

“This is kind of the culmination of all the work that we’ve done up to this point,” Truitt said.

“The governor and INDOT could have said, ‘No, we won’t do it.’ Because of a well-communicated desire of all the stakeholders, the governor and INDOT saw the value of a joint resolution.”

Although the morning meeting has been canceled, an afternoon rally of employees from Amtrak’s maintenance shops in Beech Grove is scheduled to take place as planned.

At 4 p.m. on the south atrium at the Statehouse, some of the 550 employees from the maintenance shops will advocate for the Hoosier State, according to Christian Ficara, of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.